Often we find many of our customers are utilizing the free email address that most internet provider’s setup during service activation. Many of these email providers make money by displaying ads on the screen when checking your email. This may not seem like a big deal however some ads pop-up onto your screen, some have sound and others just cause the page to load so slowly that you don’t get your emails as quickly as you should. Additionally, if you have to change internet providers down the road your email address, email, and contacts will be lost if not exported properly. Read on to learn how to combat these common issues!

Choosing an email provider

Sure it’s nice that Comcast and CenturyLink etc. setup and provide support for (usually several) email accounts however the forceful marketing and lack of flexibility can cause more frustration that it’s worth. Rather than use an email address that is tied to your internet provider we suggest using one of the many popular FREE webmail providers. We generally recommend going with a free Gmail account because there are many applications that utilize the google platform and if you are already using an android phone or tablet you probably already have a Gmail or google account setup! Additionally, if you do have an android phone you can sync and store your contacts on Gmail’s server making it impossible to loose contacts due to a lost phone or switching devices! Other good email provider alternatives include Hotmail or Outlook’s online email. There are other alternatives including Yahoo! and AOL however we find that users with these accounts tend to have more issues than our recommended email providers.

What about your old emails?

Old emails will still be accessible through your old email account until your either change providers or request that your account be deleted. If you have important emails you don’t want to lose you can (or we can help you) setup your account in an email application such as Outlook or Thunderbird to download emails or you can forward the emails that are most important to your new email box.

If you decide to use Gmail for your new provider you can take advantage of Gmails ability to check your existing email box! This requires a little bit of setup (you will need your existing email account password to complete it) but once you complete setup under the settings menu, any emails that come into your old email address will appear in your gmail account, making it easier to avoid missing any important emails during the transition

How do I let everyone know I have a new email address?

If you have everyone that you need to notify in your address book or contacts the easiest way is to send one email to everyone stating that your email address has changed and ask them to update your contact information. If your new email provider is Gmail you can follow the setups above to have Gmail check for new emails on your old account so that you can respond to anyone who has not yet updated your contact information!

How do I transfer my address book or contacts?

Depending on how you check your email (online through webmail or through an application such as Outlook or Thunderbird) you will need locate the option to export your contacts. Once your contacts are exported you can download the file and after setting up your new email account you can import them into your new address book.

Setting up your email on other devices

If you are using Gmail or another popular email provider you may be able to download an app to easily view your email from your devices app store. If you prefer to use the built-in email client you will be asked if you want to setup POP or IMAP. If you choose a pop account, all emails are downloaded onto your device rather than remaining on your email providers sever. Most people prefer to use IMAP rather than POP because all mail is stored on the email server therefore if you send or receive email from one device and then use another device or computer you will be able to see all emails that were sent or received from any device and not just the on you are currently using. In order to use IMAP with Gmail you do have to login to Gmail’s webmail and activate IMAP under settings.

If you would like assistance with switching your email to a new provider or are seeking one-on-one computer classes to help you navigate your email better contact Jester’s Computer Services on the web at www.jesterscomputers.com or via phone at (717) 642-6611. We are located on Route 116 in Fairfield at 5135 Fairfield Road.